Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----a major business centre in the province. Sadly, people's confidence in the marketing impact of Naas is beginning to wane. The Minister of State identified the reason, namely, the ten years. Who wants to wait ten years for statutory processes to conclude? If we have to wait ten years for people to make their minds up about something, it is time to ask questions. We have had to ask questions about a number of planning and development issues that have arisen across the country in recent times, although I will not go into individual cases now. The Acting Chairman, Deputy O'Rourke, knows as well as I do that if it takes so long to make a decision on a simple matter, I hate to think what would happen were we ever faced with a very difficult issue to resolve.

I accept the Minister of State's bona fides on this. While a Minister cannot directly involve himself or herself in a planning application, he or she has the right to find out what is happening, why it has been delayed, what the rate of progress has been annually in the past ten years, what rate is expected in the next ten years and how much longer we must await the outcome.

I have pursued this matter every which way. I have spoken down the years to every party involved. I have raised it in the House and received ministerial responses. It is unfair to Deputies and the Minister that we must continue waiting in this fashion for a simple answer to a simple issue that has been ongoing for such a long time. It is the old story of ransom strips. We cannot afford ransom strips. Incidentally, the people who feel offended may be right, but we are entitled to a decision. We cannot go on forever. We deserve a response to a matter of this nature.

The Minister of State could have a serious impact on this issue. It would be to the benefit of the area and public representatives everywhere who want to see progress when progress is demanded and required.

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